Visitor Guide Fox Glacier & Franz Josef Glacier Accommodation West Coast New Zealand New Zealand Glacier Country West Coast, South Island Wake Up to Glacier Country NZ A must-see on your South Island New Zealand trip From the mountains to the sea, you won’t want to miss any of it. Active adventure, relaxation or family fun all against the backdrop of spectacular scenery, New Zealand’s Glacier Country offers something for everyone. Create your own unforgettable Glacier Country experience from the wealth of things to do in Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier, Okarito and the surrounding area. DISCOVER… The heart of Glacier Country, the Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier . The most accessible rivers of ice in the world, plunging down through rainforest almost to sea level. Lake Matheson’s mirror reflections of the Southern Alps/ Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, including New Zealand’s highest peaks, Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman/Rarakiroa The small seaside village of Ōkārito with its great views, rich lagoon, magnificent birdlife and historic West Coast buildings.

… and so much more in the beautiful wetlands, beaches, grasslands, lakes, mountains and forests of Westland Tai Poutini National Park and the northern part of the UNESCO World Heritage Area, Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand. This site is your Glacier Country visitor guide for: Helpful visitor information and maps Where we are Glacier Country is on the West Coast of the South Island and is a 3.5-hour drive from Wanaka and a 5.5-hour drive from Christchurch. Getting here You can self-drive or come by bus, coach or bike. If you are self-driving take it slow and enjoy the ride with all its amazing scenery, contrasts and atmosphere. Come soon and explore the offerings of stunning Glacier Country New Zealand. Enjoy it in a relaxed way or be as fully active as you choose. With a great range of accommodation from backpackers to hotels, and eating and drinking options from cafés and bars to fine dining, plus friendly local hospitality – it’s a winning mix for your travel planning. For more information Our contact email is glaciercountryinfo@gmail.com . You can also visit Westland Tai Poutini National Park DOC Visitor Centre or Franz Josef i-SITE in Franz Josef village.

Also check out the new Tourism West Coast website (click on either logos below) Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, South Island, New Zealand This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about his discoveries. Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier, South Island, New Zealand Higher, faster, shorter. The sad new motto of New Zealand’s glaciers. It’s not what we should be aspiring towards. It is the sad not-so-cold reality of climate change. As you drive along the final road towards Fox Glacier, signs on the side mark the point where the face of the ice was at various points in history. Centuries ago, decades ago. It has moved a long way in this time – about three kilometres since the 1880s. Some is the natural progression of a flowing river of ice. But recently it’s been accelerating – and it’s got scientists worried. Even just in the past few years, it’s noticeable how far the face of the glacier has moved. After driving from the main road, you reach a car park where you leave your vehicle and walk the rest of the way.

It is quite a walk these day and takes more than 30 minutes to the point where you get a good view of the glacier’s face. It’s one of the few ways to see the glacier. Until the past couple of years, you could do a walking tour onto the ice but that’s now been stopped because it’s too dangerous. The ice is just too thin. Helicopter tours are now the best way to get a good view. For visitors to this glacier region of New Zealand, on the west coast of the South Island, there are a few must-sees. Only a 30 minute drive from Fox Glacier is Franz Josef Glacier and it really is worth seeing them both. Both are rivers of ice, fair enough, but the valleys you walk along to reach the glaciers are different and have their own unique characteristics. While the Fox Glacier valley has mainly grey rocks and a rounder shape, the Franz Josef Glacier valley is full of orange rocks, has more plants, and is steeper on the sides. Franz Josef Glacier is also receding – all of the glaciers here in New Zealand are. Some of it is natural and these ice formations always grow and shrink a bit over time depending on the weather conditions of each year.

But the acceleration of the decline in size is increasing and scientists don’t think it has ever been as fast as it has been in recently. They’re convinced that human-caused climate change is the major cause. Since 1977, the Southern Alps of New Zealand have lost 34 per cent of their ice and snow cover. The smallest glaciers have lost about 12 metres of thickness in that time. The walk from the carpark to the face of the Franz Josef Glacier is beautiful – but quite long. It can take almost an hour if you take your time and enjoy the surroundings. It helps that the route has so much to look at but it’s a stark reminder that since 2008 this glacier has been in a period of retreat and has lost around 800 metres of length. It gives you time to think about it, if you let yourself. And it is probably important that we do think about this kind of thing. We hear a lot about climate change in the news. Most of us believe that it is caused (or at least amplified) by human behaviour.

We know it will change our planet, sea levels will rise, agriculture will be affected, species may be wiped out, and there will be an imbalance in nature that could have many more unpredictable effects. But it is all happening so slowly and sometimes it is hard to picture, to get a mental image of what climate change. Well, here in this part of New Zealand, you don’t need a mental image. You have a physical one in front of you. All you need to do is visit Fox Glacier or Franz Josef Glacier again within a year or two and you’ll see the difference. The planet warms, the glaciers shrink. It’s that simple! It is still worth the visit these days, even if you can no longer walk up on the ice. Helicopter rides are expensive so, if that’s not within your budget, you can walk up both valleys and see the face for free. Or there are some tours that take you much closer to the glaciers themselves on foot. Maybe this will be the kind of place we can only tell future generations about, showing them photos and explaining how the natural world looked before the temperature rose too much. If that is the case – and there’s a strong likelihood it will be – that’s really sad.

Maybe even more reason to go and see this region for yourself now. GLACIERS Glaciers GLACIERS Glacier Tours in New Zealand There are two glaciers on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island that are accessible for tours. they are called Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and are located 30 minutes drive apart It takes about 5 hours to drive to them from Christchurch or from Queenstown. Franz Josef glacier is currently only doing Ice Tours with access by Helicopter. The cheapest Helicopter Flight and Guided Glacier walk combo is to choose the Ice Explorer. You can get a discount by purchasing an open dated glow-worms Cave and Ice Explorer Deal Pass. See more details HERE Fox Glacier provides both helicopter or walk in access to the glacier ice tours. Both glaciers provide an extended helicopter flight and guided glacier walk on the ice as a combo callled glacier heli hikes. If you want the cheaper helicopter flight and Guided Ice walk combo make sure you ask for the Ice Explorer at Franz Josef T o make glacier walk bookings go to these websites FRANZ JOSEF ACCOMMODATION Franz Josef Holiday Home: (A good choice for groups) You're welcome to stay in our holiday home.

Located 3 kilometres north of Franz Josef village away from the helicopter noise you'll have a relaxed stay here. This 3 bedroom holiday house has a queen sized double bed in each room and has further roll away single beds to sleep up to 12 people. An infants cot is also available. All bedding and towels are supplied The house is self-service so you can come and go as you please with late check out. If you were thinking of a motel, hotel, B&B, backpackers farm or homestay then this is a great alternative with more space, more privacy and fewer people. Quiet country location. Free Satellite TV & DVD player. Free tea, coffee and chocolate drinks. Cost Based on having the whole house to yourself, the rates depend on the number of beds you use, how many nights you wish to stay and the time of the year. And if you have done any tours with us, we can show our appreciation of your support by giving you a cheaper rate. Best thing is to contact us with your requirements & we will quote. Click here to view, pricing, availability and to make an instant book ing When paying by credit card there is an additional 3% charged to cover the bank processing fees.

If you are paying from overseas by internet bank transfer the bank transfer fees seem to range from $25 to $50. These charges are your own additional cost so be careful about understanding how much this will be.. Directions Coming from Hokitika: Once you go past Lake Mapourika, the farmstead house is another 5 km further. You’ll go over the Potters Creek bridge and then look out for Greens Road on your right. Look for the number 2600 on the front fence on your right hand side. If you see a building on the left saying "Franz Josef Mechanical" then you have gone 100 meters too far. If you have a GPS put in 2600 Franz Josef Highway Coming from Franz Josef Village: It is about 4 minutes drive from the village heading towards Hokitika and Christchurch. You go across 2 bridges then it is the next house on your left. That is, the next house on your left after Stoney Creek Bridge.

Phone Bookings Free ph from within New Zealand 0508 286 877 or free phone from within Australia 1800 11 4881 SECURE PAYMENTS Travel Reward Club Sign up for the “Travel Reward Club.” Receive instant discounts, free traveller’s Tips, and special member’s promotions. Delivered straight to your inbox. Fox and Franz Josef Glacier, NZ | Flickr Fox and Franz Josef Glacier, NZ mattychappy (moved to ipernity, link in profile!) ADMIN January 10, 2011 Welcome to the group dedicated to the fantastic Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers! If you have a photograph with either of these Glaciers in, be it from the air, the ground or on the Glacier itself then it is more than welcome in this group!!! Try and include tags on which Glacier is in your Photo! Welcome to the group dedicated to <i>the</i> fantastic Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers!<br>If you have a photograph with either of these Glaciers in, be it from the air, the ground or on the Glacier itself then it is more than welcome in this group!!!

Try and <b><u>include tags</u></b> on which Glacier is in your Photo! Cancel 6 years ago Group Description Welcome to the group dedicated to showcasing images taken specifically of the mighty Fox Glacier and fantastic Franz Josef Glacier! New Group Icon selected: Well done to Niall Corbet If you have a photograph with either of these Glaciers in, be it from the air, the ground or on the Glacier itself, it is more than welcome in this group. Also allowed are helicopter shots going to and from the Glacier, as are run off rivers and anything you deem relevant!! This is designed to be an informal group and a showcase for some fantastic images that are taken every year of these great ice giants so feel free to join us and build a knowledgeable group! Fox and Franz Josef Township and Glacier map: Click Here to enlarge this map! Fox Glacier Info The Fox Glacier is a 13 km long glacier located in Westland National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It was named in 1872 after a visit by the then Prime Minister of New Zealand, Sir William Fox.

Fed by four alpine glaciers, Fox Glacier falls 2,600m on its 13km journey from the Southern Alps down to the coast, with it having the distinction of being one of the few glaciers to end among lush rainforest only 300 metres above sea level. Although retreating throughout most of the last 100 years, it has been advancing since 1985 at approximately 1 metre per day. Like the nearby Franz Josef Glacier, it is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world, with its terminal face an easy walk from Fox Glacier village/Weheka. It is a major tourist attraction and about 1000 people daily visit it during high tourist season. Though people are told not to, some go beyond the barriers and climb without guides onto the glacier, whose rapid advance creates dangers of sudden ice and rockfalls. Accidents Two Australian tourists, Ashish Miranda and Akshay Miranda, were killed 8 January 2009 when more than 100 tonnes of ice fell on them. They were not part of a guided group, had crossed safety barriers and walked approximately 500 metres to the terminal face to take photos.

This proves a sad reminder to the power of the Glacier and the importance of following safety precautions. Franz Josef Glacier Info The Franz Josef (Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere in Māori)[1][2] is a 12 km long[3] glacier located in Westland National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Together with the Fox Glacier 20 km to the south, it is unique in descending from the Southern Alps to less than 300 metres above sea level, amidst the greenery and lushness of a temperate rainforest. The glacier is currently 12 km long and terminates 19 km from the Tasman Sea. Fed by a 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi) large snowfield[7] at high altitude, it exhibits a cyclic pattern of advance and retreat, driven by differences between the volume of meltwater at the foot of the glacier and volume of snowfall feeding the névé.

Due to strong snowfall it is one of the few glaciers in New Zealand which is still growing as of 2007, while others, mostly on the eastern side of the Southern Alps, have been shrinking heavily, a process attributed to global warming. A church built in 1931 was given a panoramic altar window to take advantage of its location looking at the Glacier. By 1954, the glacier had disappeared from view from the church window, but reappeared in 1997. This is due to the highly variable conditions on the snowfield, which take around 5-6 years before they result in changes in the terminus location. Based on past variations, scientists expect that Franz Josef Glacier will retreat 5 km and lose 38% of its mass by 2100 in a mid-range scenario of warming. The glacier area is also one of the main tourist attractions of the West Coast, with around 250,000 visitors a year, and up to 2,700 per day (2007).Guided and unguided walks up to and onto the glacier are possible.

Accidents In June 2010, an Australian tourist died during a guided hike of the glacier. LINKS Please feel free to suggest your own links by posting to a discussion thread or contacting me Your Admin for this group is mattychappy Group Rules Welcome to the New Fox and Franz Josef Glacier group! What is allowed in photos: ~ The Glaciers of course! ~ Helicopters from guided tours / scenic trips ~ Ice formations ~ Any photography from the air ~ Run off Rivers ~ Mountain ranges and snow fields that form the beginning of the Glaciers ~ Fox and Franz Josef Townships ~ Black and White images ~ Anything else you deem relevant! Please contribute discussion threads and feel free to start your own topics!!! Once a good selection of images have been added to the pool, a new group icon will be allocated with a link to the winners photostream on the front page. Enjoy your Group!

Contact me via Flickr: mattychappy Additional Info tranzalpine-train-journey-tours Trip Type: Guided Coach Tour Tour Duration: 10 Days Departure Dates: Departs Daily {tag_departure_dates} Starts From: Christchurch 9 Day Classic TranzAlpine Guided Tour Group Coach Tour The TranzAlpine train is a journey like no other, and marks the perfect beginning to a south Island tour that will inspire and delight you, taking you past an unimaginably vast array of diverse scenery and landscape. From the comfort of your carriage, peer outside at mighty mountain vistas, fertile farmlands and deep gorges, all passing you by as you travel across the very spine of New Zealand’s towering Southern Alps. From NZD New Zealand Road Trip: Glaciers!!! Travel Diary » New Zealand Road Trip: Glaciers!!! New Zealand Road Trip: Glaciers!!! 29 September 2012 Glaciers , New Zealand , Fox Glacier , Franz Josef Glacier , new zealand road trip , glaciers with kids 5 A few days ago we hiked to not one, but two glaciers! I’m still amazed by that. We saw glaciers!

Fox and Franz Josef glaciers on New Zealand's south island are two of the most accessible glaciers in the world. Terminating almost at sea level into a temperate rainforest near two small towns, there's no mountain climbing or days of trekking involved to reach them - just a short walk that's easy with kids from the carpark. Well of course there's the 5 hour drive to get to the west coast in the first place ... but you can do that the day before! The glaciers are only twenty minutes apart by car and there's no charge to walk along the path to the terminal face of the glaciers. For safety reasons, the walks only take you to within a few hundred meters of the glaciers, not right to the base. To go closer you need to join a guided tour. But here’s the catch - children younger than 7 years of age are not allowed to walk on the glacier surface. So if you are visiting with young kids, seeing them from a few hundred meters away is your only option. Unless of course you have the money to pay for a helicopter flight over the glaciers! Which from the pictures looks amazing ... just expensive!

Noah is 7 years old so he could have gone on the glacier walk but at 5 years old, Hayley is too young. We decided if we couldn’t all go none of us would go. We’ll come back when they are teenagers. Friends and family who have done the glacier walks thought even at 7 years of age, hiking on the glacier would be very challenging so we'd rather wait until the kids are old enough to enjoy the experience rather than potentially be frustrated by it. So is it still worth visiting them if you can’t walk up onto the glacier or touch it? Absolutely! It was one of the coolest experiences ever - no pun intended as the walk was actually quite hot! Franz Josef We started our morning by walking to Franz Josef Glacier. From the carpark, the walk is currently 3km each way and takes approximately 90 minutes return with kids. We decided to start with Franz Josef over Fox because the walk is longer - better to tackle it in the morning when the kids have more energy. 6km return sounds like a lot with young children but the walk was surprisingly easy. You start out with a short bush walk followed by walking along a gravel path in the river basin.

The majority of the walk is flat, flat enough that you could probably even take a jogging stroller along the walk. Our friends from Flashpacker Family did the walk with their toddler who made it most of the way without being carried. There are enough rocks to explore just off path, creeks to look at and waterfalls to gaze up at that you can easily keep children engaged. With the steep cliffs and mountains looming high above you, the waterfalls and the contrast of a rainforest and glacier it's a spectacular walk. OK so that’s the good bit. The negative is that without paying for the guided glacier walk, we couldn't get closer to the glacier than approximately 800m. There was also a huge pile of rubble in front of the terminal face blocking the view. After advancing 1.5km from the early 80s, the glacier has been in retreat since 2009. And it's retreating rapidly, 500m in three years in fact.

Franz Josef and Fox are two of the fastest moving glaciers in the world, moving at 10x the speed of most other valley glaciers thanks partly to the huge snow fall they receives each year (between 15-20m annually at their highest point) and the huge area of snow that feeds into each glacier that then flows down a narrow valley. Essentially think of a funnel - a giant area of snow and other glaciers all feeding into a narrow valley spout. When the snow fall has been good they can advance as fast as 70cm per day. But a decade of less than average snowfall and the glacier's start retreating quickly too. Two years ago the end of the walk probably would have been quite a good vantage point. Now, with the rubble mountain obstructing the view you can't really see a lot. The fascinating thing is this rubble was actually under the glacier 4 years ago - take a look at this link and the before/after picture . It's really quite remarkable. You would think those photos were taken decades apart not just a few short years.

The terminal face of the glacier has also been very unstable this year, so unstable that they've had to ban any guided walks to the face of the glacier - guided walks now are only by helicopter that land you up higher. I completely understand the safety issues of not letting inexperienced tourists get too close to a glacier without supervision, particularly given how unstable Franz Josef has been this year, and obviously the national park can't do anything about the glacier retreating ... but it didn't alter the fact that the view was disappointing. It wasn't the fact that you couldn't get closer - it was the obstructed view that was the disappointing part. The view halfway along the path was just as good, if not better than the view at the end of the hike. If we had of realised this we probably only would have walked 3/4 of the way and turned back. Hopefully they have plans to move the vantage point if the glacier continues retreating because otherwise it was a spectacular walk and experience. Seeing the glacier working it's way down the valley from snowy mountains to a temperate rainforest was spectacular. But a better vantage point at the end of the walk would have turned the experience from a cool day out to 'Wow this is the best day ever'.

Fox Glacier Visiting Fox Glacier was almost the complete opposite experience to visiting Franz Josef. The walk is much shorter - around 40mins return but the trail is harder. Most of the walk is on uneven ground, including a few stream crossings, with lots of ups and downs over small hills at the edge of the riverbed. It was a lovely walk although not quite as scenic as the walk to Franz Josef. Our children found the shorter walk to Fox Glacier just as challenging as the walk to Franz Josef even though it was much shorter, thanks to all the inclines and the uneven path. It's not too hard a walk for kids, just a little tiring in places. Our 7 year old found it easy, our 5 year old tripped a couple of times and was pretty tired by the end. But then she'd already done a 6km walk and a 2km walk over lunch (we had lunch at a lake and we went for an explore) so she was already tired before we went. You can get a lot closer to Fox Glacier. We were only 100m away so the view was quite spectacular. Close enough to see all the features.

But throughout the whole walk you could really only see the terminal face of the glacier, unlike Franz Josef where you could see the glacier making it's way down from the mountains above. So which Glacier do you visit? Until Franz Josef starts to advance again (fingers crossed it does) or they move the vantage point, it's worth visiting both glaciers as they were both were amazing and different experiences in their own right. It was worth walking to Fox Glacier to see the glacier up close and the view of the higher reaches of Franz Josef and seeing all the glacial carved features of the valley and rocks made that walk well worth it too. They're only 20minutes apart and if you break them up with a lunch stop in between it's not hard to do both in a single day even with young children. I'd recommend walking all the way to Fox Glacier to get up close to the glacier but when you visit Franz Josef only walk halfway unless your children are keen to keep walking. Because the glaciers are changing so rapidly it's definitely worth asking locals and other tourists what the situation is at both glaciers, specifically how close you can get to the glaciers.

What to know before you go: Located twenty minutes apart, the glaciers are roughly a 5 hour drive from either Christchurch or Queenstown on the west coast of the south island of New Zealand. Both Fox and Franz Josef townships have a wide range of places to stay from camping grounds to hotels and apartments, as well as restaurants. Franz Josef has a small grocery store. They are both tourist towns and you are in the middle of nowhere with not many other choices for places to stay or eat out at, so prices aren't cheap. Franz Josef town is slightly larger with more dining and accommodation choices. If you are walking to the glaciers with children take plenty of snacks and water. You are in a national park so there's no restaurant at the end of the walk or drinking fountains. Fox Glacier has toilets at the carpark but Franz Josef doesn't. The weather in the valleys surrounding the glaciers can change rapidly. Even when you are leaving the town only a few kilometers away it can be hard to predict what the weather is like. Pack for all conditions and decide when you get there. Even if it's sunny I'd recommend taking jackets just in case the weather changes. Cloud often sets in in the afternoon.

I'd recommend going to Franz Josef in the morning so you can have an unobstructed view of the valley that the glacier falls down. If the weather does set in and you are faced with a walk in the rain, the Fox Glacier walk is shorter. And at this point in time you can't really see a lot of Fox Glacier from the walking trail other than the face of the glacier so if you are going to strike one in bad weather it won't really matter. We stayed at Rainforest Holiday Park . It's well worth checking out a couple of different caravan parks if you are camping because the fees are high and some will charge you an extra $15 per child while others will charge you for just one child if you ask nicely. There are a number of places to free camp nearby. If caravan park fees are out of your price range but you want a toilet and shower, check out the nearby Department of Conservation Okarito camp ground. It's 16km from Franz Josef on a winding road so not ideal but it is only $10 per adult and free for children with paid hot showers, free toilets, BBQs, a fridge and picnic facilities. And lastly, allow extra walking time for rock collection.

I'm pretty sure my children would have stayed an extra three hours at each glacier collecting, crushing and inspecting rocks. About the Author Tracy Burns Tracy always talked about traveling a lot more than she ever traveled. Married to an avid traveler that thankfully changed. After almost two years exploring South East Asia and Australia, enjoying the most amazing food, temples, beaches, and more importantly every sweet food treat she can find, Tracy is keen to explore further afield. Tracy juggles homeschooling, playtime, blogging and learning more about photography while they travel. Some days she juggles them better than others! Tags: P1386H--Glaciers of New Zealand SATELLITE IMAGE ATLAS OF GLACIERS OF THE WORLD GLACIERS OF IRIAN JAYA, INDONESIA, AND NEW ZEALAND GLACIERS OF NEW ZEALAND By TREVOR J.H. CHINN 1 Abstract Glaciers occur on the North Island on Mount Ruapehu and on the South Island along the crest of the Southern Alps from the Spenser Mountains in the north to southern Fiordland in the south. New Zealand has a humid maritime climate.

The prevailing westerly winds bring 3,000 mm. of annual precipitation to the western coastal plains, 15,000 mm to just west of the main divide, and 1,000 mm to the eastern ranges. Easterly and southerly winds are important sources of snow east of the main divide. A comprehensive glacier inventory that has just been completed indicates that the total number of glaciers exceeding 0.01 km2 in area in the Southern Alps is about 3,155, with an estimated volume of 53.3 km3 and an area of 1,159 km2. There are six glaciers on Mount Ruapehu. The first published descriptions of New Zealand glaciers occurred in 1859. Early visitors made observations on positions of termini and rates of movement of the glaciers, and, in 1889, the first precise measurements were carried out. Modern studies began in the 1950's and included studies of flow, fluctuation, and mass and water balance on individual glaciers. The mapping of glaciers began with sketches of Franz Josef Glacier in 1865.

The first maps were produced in the 1890's. Topographic mapping of the entire country at a scale of 1:63,360 with 100-ft contours was begun in 1958 and completed in the 1970's. Currently the Department of Survey and Land Information is preparing a new series at a scale of 1:50,000 with a 25-m contour interval. Aerial photographs of all glacierized areas are available; Landsat images cover all the areas, but not all the images are useful for glacial observations because of cloud cover or seasonally incorrect acquisition dates. Landsat images are more appropriate for studies of the larger glaciers, because the spatial resolution of the image is inadequate for glaciers smaller than about 1.0 km2 . However, Landsat imagery is useful in many cases in New Zealand for determining the rate and direction of glacier flow, changes in glacier snowline and margins, and past glacier extent on the basis of morainal sequences. Introduction New Zealand comprises three main islands situated between 34° S. and 47° S. latitude.

North Island has extensive areas of low mountain and hill country of Mesozoic and Tertiary sediments and a number of prominent volcanic cones. The mountains barely reach above the present vegetation limit, and the scant evidence available suggests that glaciers possibly did occur on the highest of these ranges during the Pleistocene. Three of the highest of the volcanic cones reach close to the permanent snowline, but only Mount Ruapehu, whose summit is at 2,752 m, supports snowfields, which form six glaciers. South Island is more mountainous than North Island, and the boundary between the Pacific and Indian plates cuts diagonally through the island from southwest to northeast as the New Zealand Alpine fault. Toward the northeast, the single fault splinters into a number of faults. Vertical and dextral strike-slip movements continue and have rapidly uplifted the young, steep mountains east of the fault line, with lesser uplift to the west and north of the fault line. Rock types may be roughly divided into three simple categories: crystalline plutonic rocks of Fiordland in the southwest; schist in the central south, which wedges out northward adjacent to the fault; and sandstone to the east and north of the schist.

Average peak summits range from 1,850 m in Fiordland to 3,000 m in the central Southern Alps (Mount Cook, the highest, reaches 3,764 m) and descend to 2,000 m in the north-central Southern Alps. To the northeast young blocks of the Kaikoura Ranges reach to over 2,700 m, but because they receive little precipitation these peaks do not support glaciers ( fig. 1 ). Stewart Island presently supports no glaciers, although small glaciers were present during the Pleistocene. Figure 1.-Location map showing glacial regions and locations of glaciers mentioned in the text. New Zealand has a humid maritime climate, with the Southern Alps lying across the path of the prevailing westerly winds. This situation creates steep, eastward precipitation gradients and a strong föhn effect. Mean annual precipitation rises rapidly from 3,000 mm along the narrow western coastal plains to a maximum of 15,000 mm or more in the western part of the Southern Alps a few kilometers west of the main divide.

From this maximum, precipitation diminishes approximately exponentially to about 1,000 mm in the eastern ranges (Griffiths and MeSaveney, 1983; Chinn, 1979). Although westerly winds prevail, easterly and, more especially, southerly winds are important sources of snow to the east of the main divide. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year. Occurrence of Glaciers Glaciers of the Southern Alps occur either in groups or singly from southern Fiordland in the south to the Spenser Mountains in the north ( fig. 1 ). Several active rock glaciers occur on the inland Kaikoura Ranges. North of the Arthur's Pass area there are only a few small glaciers and permanent snow patches. The glaciers of the Southern Alps may be divided into four glacial regions containing groups of the larger glaciers ( fig. 1 ). To the north, the Mount Whitcombe region includes the large Ramsay and Lyell Glaciers, together with the ice plateau of the Bracken Snowfield, and extends south to include the dual snowfields of the Garden of Eden and the Garden of Allah ( fig. 2 ).

The Mount Cook region contains the largest glaciers of the Southern Alps. These include the Godley, Classen, Murchison, Tasman, Hooker, and Mueller Glaciers east of the main divide, and the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers (Sara, 1968) to the west. Farther south, the Mount Aspiring region has some extensive névé-sheathed slopes surrounding Mount Aspiring and two main glaciers, the Bonar and Volta. The Olivine Ice Plateau and adjacent valley glaciers south of Mount Aspiring are included in this region. The Mount Tutoko region, the southernmost region, encompasses the north Fiordland and central Fiordland glaciers. Figure 2.-Oblique aerial photograph looking northeast on 22 March 1983 at the Garden of Eden, an ice field that has numerous outlet glaciers. A second ice field, the Garden of Allah, is visible behind the ridge separating the two névés. Photograph by Trevor J.H. Chinn, New Zealand Geological Survey, slide A 42-29.

Anderton (1973) had previously identified 527 glaciers more than 0.1 km2 in area and estimated the volume of water stored as perennial snow and ice in the glaciers of the Southern Alps to be approximately 50 km3, with an area of 810 km2. Results from the present glacier inventory indicate that the total number of glaciers exceeding 0.01 km2 in area in the Southern Alps is 3,155, with an estimated ice volume of 53.3 km3 and a total glacier area of 1,159 km2. In the Mount Whitcombe region 819 glaciers have been inventoried; 351 of these occur to the west of the main divide (Westland area) and the remaining 468 to the east of the main divide (Canterbury area). Many glaciers have areas close to 0.2 km2 , and 82 percent of the Canterbury glaciers are this size or smaller ( fig. 3 ), while in Westland 70 percent of the glaciers are equal to or less than 0.2 km2 ( fig. 4 ).

Fifty percent of Canterbury glaciers are smaller than 0.06 km2, while 50 percent of Westland glaciers are smaller than 0.09 km2. Canterbury glaciers predominantly face south to southeast, and most Westland glaciers face between west and north ( fig. 5 ). Figure 3.-Distribution by size of 468 Canterbury glaciers of the Mount Whitcombe region. Fifty percent of all glaciers of this region are less than 0.06 km2 in area, and 82 percent are less than 0.2 km2. Figure 4.-Distribution by size of 351 Westland glaciers of the Mount Whitcombe region. Fifty percent of all glaciers of this region are less than 0.09 km2 in area, and 70 percent are less than 0.2 km2. Figure 5.-Aspect rose diagrams of 819 glaciers of the Mount Whitcombe region. A, Canterbury glaciers (east of main divide); B, Westland glaciers (west of main divide).

Observation of Glaciers Historical Glacier Observations The first Europeans who might have seen the glaciers of the Southern Alps were the explorers Abel Tasman (in 1642) and Captain James Cook (in 1769), when they sailed along the West Coast of New Zealand, although neither of them mentioned seeing glaciers. The first published description of a New Zealand glacier appears to be of the Franz Josef Glacier, recorded in the log of the Mary Louisa when sailing off the West Coast in 1859, and subsequently published in the Lyttelton (New Zealand) Times, 6 July 1859 (Sara, 1970). Descriptions of glaciers become abundant in the 1860's, soon after the discovery of gold stimulated extensive exploration and prospecting in alpine regions, especially on the West Coast. The earliest systematic records of glaciers appear in the journals and reports of C.E. "Mr. Explorer" Douglas and A.P. Harper. From the late 1860's onward Douglas explored and carefully reported on most of the notoriously impenetrable West Coast valleys (Pascoe, 1957).

Later, mainly in the 1890's, A.P. Harper carried out a tremendous amount of exploration work for the Department of Lands and Survey, frequently in the company of Douglas (Harper, 1896 and 1946). Harper was also a mountaineer and explored many of the glaciers on the eastern side of the ranges. Further systematic records of the glaciers appear in the New Zealand Alpine Journal, first published in 1892. Early volumes of the New Zealand Alpine Journal contain accounts of the visits of Julius von Haast to the headwaters and glaciers of Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers in 1861, and to Tasman, Hooker, and Mueller Glaciers in 1862. In 1865, von Haast made the first sketch of Franz Josef Glacier, and its terminus was first photographed in 1867 by T. Pringle (Sara, 1970).

Throughout the 1860's to the 1880's the headwaters of the main rivers on the eastern side of the Alps were visited by explorers, while Douglas systematically explored each of the rugged forested valleys of the west to its headwaters glaciers. By 1900, guided tours were being conducted from both sides of the Alps on Franz Josef and Tasman Glaciers. Many of these early visitors made observations on the positions of the glacier termini and on rates of ice movement (Mannering, 1891; FitzGerald, 1896). In 1889, T.N. Brodrick began mapping topography and glaciers in the Mount Cook area (Gellatly, 1985). Cross-glacier lines of stakes were installed on Tasman, Murchison, and Hooker Glaciers, while painted stones were positioned in a line across Mueller Glacier. This work was the first precise glaciological measurement carried out in New Zealand. These sections were resurveyed in 1962 (Skinner, 1964).

Observations of the positions of the termini of Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers by surveys and photographic records have been sporadically maintained since 1894 (fig. 6), and occasional measurements of rates of movement have been made (Bell, 1910; Speight, 1939). During the past two decades, National Park staff have taken weekly photographs from fixed points, giving a permanent time-lapse record of all fluctuations of glacier termini. Figure 6.-Measured variations in the position of the termini of the Fox, Franz Josef, and Ivory Glaciers. Modern Glacier Observations In 1957, I.C. McKellar of the New Zealand Geological Survey began measuring movement and ice stratigraphy on Tasman Glacier (Goldthwait and McKellar, 1962). In 1965, when this initial project was completed, the Ministry of Works initiated mass-balance measurements; this work continued until 1973 (Chinn, 1969). In 1972, ice thickness was measured over three sections across the trunk of the glacier (Anderton, 1975).

Repetitive oblique photographs are being made from time to time by the Mount Cook National Park Board. A recent study has documented the retreat of the small, steep Stocking Glacier, situated between Mueller and Hooker Glaciers (Salinger and others, 1983). To the west, the fluctuations of Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers have been documented by Suggate (1950), Bowen (1960), Sara (1968, 1970), and Soons (1971), but flow measurements by Gunn (1964) and McSaveney and Gage (1968) are the most comprehensive of the studies made on the ice of these glaciers. In 1968, T.J. Chinn of the Ministry of Works began mass- and waterbalance studies on Ivory Glacier ( fig. 7 ), a small glacier west of the main divide chosen as part of an International Hydrological Decade (I.H.D.) program of representative basin studies (Anderton and Chinn, 1978). These studies continued, along with energy-balance projects, until 1974. In 1975, G.

Bishop of the New Zealand Geological Survey, Dunedin, commenced limited balance and movement studies on Dart Glacier in Otago; these studies continue. On North Island, retreat of the glaciers of Mount Ruapehu was described by Odell (1955) and Krenek (1959). Later, in 1960, permanent photographic stations were installed (Heine, 1962), and balance studies were made on Whakapapanui Glacier over 1968-69 (Thompson and Kells, 1973). Figure 7.-Glacier elevation-difference map of Ivory Glacier from April 1971 to March 1988. Glacier-snowline elevations (the elevation of the end-of-summer snowline on a glacier) are being measured in a program of annual photographic surveys of glaciers throughout the Southern Alps. The first complete survey was made in 1978 (Chinn and Whitehouse, 1980). Mean snowline altitudes varied from 1,500 m in the south and west to 2,200 m in the east.

The trend of the snowline surface shows strongly the influence of westerly precipitation on the distribution of glaciers. Snowlines descend perceptibly from the extreme west to a trough located parallel to, but somewhat east of, the zone of maximum precipitation (Griffiths and McSaveney, 1983; Chinn, 1979). With decreasing precipitation, the snowline rises rapidly near the crest of the main divide and continues to rise with a lower eastward gradient. Imposed on this generalized pattern are complex topographic variations of two origins. Large mountain masses, lying across the direction of the prevailing northwest winds and west of the divide, generate precipitation-shadow areas, the result being higher snowlines in the shadow area. This pattern of precipitation-shadow areas is repeated east of the main divide. Where low passes occur, the precipitation-shadow effect is drastically reduced; moist maritime air masses, therefore, can penetrate east of the main divide, resulting in markedly lower snowlines than in the shadow areas. Gradients of the snowline elevation across the main divide vary from 25 m km-1 to 40 m-1 km.

These gradients are up to four times as steep as those found at the glaciation limit 2 (Porter, 1975) and 10 to 20 times as steep as those measured for arctic and subarctic regions (Andrews and Miller, 1972). Localized areas of very steep gradients occur that far exceed the mean values. The mean northeast to southwest gradient along the main divide is 1 m km-1 or 115 m per degree of latitude. Present glacial studies include the Dart Glacier work by the New Zealand Geological Survey, and photographic surveys being conducted by the staff of the Westland and Mount Cook National Parks. In addition, the Water and Soil Division of the Ministry of Works and Development has a New Zealand Glacier Inventory program in progress under the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Glacier Inventory project. 1 New Zealand Geological Survey, University of Canterbury, Private Bag, Christchurch, New Zealand. 2The lowest elevation in a given locality at which glaciers can develop and be sustained.

Question: Specifically, on which island is the Franz Josef Glacier?
Answer: SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND